At Fullerton, it's about rugby, not football

For a majority of fans, it's to tune in to see some of the greatest athletes in the world showcase their abilities. They mix size with speed and recognition of the evolving play with force.

There's a reason football is called a collision sport, but it's one of the main characteristics that makes the game so popular.

With the season wrapped up, where do fans turn to get their fix of physicality?

For a few hundred spectators, it was at Titan Stadium this past weekend where the Cal State Fullerton rugby team opened its season against UC San Diego.

If you've never seen a rugby match, it's quite an experience.

There are 30 players on the field at one time (15-on-15), and every one of them is eligible to touch the egg-shaped ball at any moment. Some are built like offensive linemen, while others look like your average soccer player. Regardless of size, the one thing they all have in common is toughness.

"It's nonstop action," said Titan fly-half Artie Hernandez. "You can get tackled or go down and make a tackle – either way, as soon as you hit the ground you need to get back and keep running because the game doesn't stop just because you stopped."

Hernandez, who is the team president, described the game as a mix of soccer and football – soccer representing the constant action in play and football representing the physical nature of the game.

"It's nonstop violence," he said. "It's a 'hooligan sport played by gentlemen.' That's the rugby saying."

The hits are hard, and they're dished out consistently.

There are no pads, no helmets and no shin guards.

Although rugby is a club sport at Cal State Fullerton, which has played it since 1985, you would never be able to tell. Athletic trainers were on hand and stayed busy throughout the night. Some of the hits left players dazed and warranted concussion tests on the sidelines.

Each jersey number specifies a player's position as well as his responsibilities:

•Nos. 1 through 8 are forwards – essentially the offensive line when you have the ball and the defensive line when defending. They are the bigger guys on the team, and their primary responsibility is to win possession of the ball.

•Nos. 9 through 15 are the backs – the speedier players. They are the back end of the defense, and on offense they are the players who will lateral back to one another to advance the ball down the field.

Understanding the game's nuances can take time, but a lot of the same principles can be seen in football: It's controlled chaos out on the field, and although it may not look like it at times, the game is very strategic.

The sport itself has seen a boom in numbers over the past several years and continues to grow.

"It's exploding," Fullerton head coach Philip John Grieve said. "Four years ago, there were 1,200 youth registered rugby players in Southern California. This year there are 3,600. Being an Olympic sport I think is helping. And so often I see 60 kids on a roster for football, but only 22 will go on the field. Here, everyone plays."